Childbirth cannot be locked down: MSCW
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 06 2020:
Reacting to the death of a pregnant woman after being allegedly denied admission to hospitals, Chairperson of the Manipur MSCW (Manipur State Commission for Women), Dr Binota Meinam has appealed the State Government to designate or establish an exclusive child delivery hospital amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The MSCW Chairperson in a statement today asserted that at least three pregnant women have lost their lives due to lack of medical attention during the pandemic.
"Child birth can not be locked down during the pandemic.
Foetuses have been conceived earlier before the pandemic.
Expected dates are countdown by nature, nobody can stop the natural process of childbirth," Dr Binota said emphasising the need for immediate and effective measures to provide proper medical care to pregnant women.
Ever since the pandemic struck, everyone has been alerted to defend themselves from this deadly disease.
Government is doing its best to contain the virus.
Lockdown has been in place since March 26 and the medical frontliners are doing their best to face COVID-19.However, during this juncture, the most vulnerable group are the pregnant women/mothers who need medical support at the time of child delivery, she said.
"We have learnt that three women have already expired due to denial of medical attention in and around hospitals.
Many hospitals and Primary Health Centres are denying admission and entry to hospitals citing COVID-19 infection risk.
This is evident from the reports published in the Rongmei Times (George Gangmei) today" she said quoting an excerpt of the report.
The Rongmei Times had published "A pregnant woman from Puichi village, expired this morning because she was denied medical attention for delivery in all the hospitals they approached.
They wept and begged hospitals the whole night through but were turned away heartlessly by the doctors.
I was informed around 3.50 am and I rushed to Shija Hospital where they went as the last resort.
But she passed away at the entrance of Shija Hospital" .
Deeply disturbed by the reports of the death of pregnant women, the Chairperson further stated that an exclusive child delivery hospital is the need of the hour to save both mother and child.
She appealed Government to allocate/arrange a medically well-equipped hospital exclusively for child delivery during the pandemic at the earliest.